Explore the ways in which Coleridge and Crabbe present the themes of justice, isolation, retribution and the supernatural in their poems.

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Eleanor Harrison 10N

Explore the ways in which Coleridge and Crabbe present the themes of justice, isolation, retribution and the supernatural in their poems

Both the Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner and Peter Grimes appear similar in many ways. Coleridge wrote his poem long before Crabbe wrote Peter Grimes and this could explain some of the similarities. It is almost certain, that to an extent, Crabbe has used some of Coleridge’s ideas in T.R.O.T.A.M in his poem Peter Grimes to appeal to the audience he was writing for.

T.R.O.T.A.M was based on a dream that Coleridge had. It was written for commercial success and therefore has many religious and spiritual references such as the characters the hermit and the spirits. It also has a moral, as at the time morals were extremely important in life as the belief was that god and the spirits decided your fate. So in order for the poem to be popular, it had to contain a religious element and a moral. Crabbe has also used many religious references in Peter Grimes, for example there is a priest and spirits like in T.R.O.T.A.M. Although this poem was also written for commercial success, the poem was also trying to bring the publics attention to the poor law and how badly treated many young boys were at that time. It, like the novel “Oliver Twist” are both written to inform people about the disadvantages of the poor law. In this way both of the poems have the same purpose as they both contain religious and supernatural references and morals.

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Both poems tell stories of forgiveness and repent. Although the ancient Mariner knows he has sinned, Peter Grimes does not and thinks he is in the right, which is where the stories differ.

The idea of isolation is strong in both poems. T.R.O.T.A.M shows the idea of isolation by using imagery and words such as “hot”, “repressive”, “thick” and “desolate”, which makes you feel that the Ancient Mariner is suffocating in self- pity, despair and helplessness. It gives the idea that there is no escape. In Peter Grimes, lines 171 to 189, gives a description of the area ...

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